‘PROGRESS’ COULD DISPLACE FAMILY
Farmhouse could be leveled to make way for widening, curb traffic congestion
Less traffic congestion and a wider Romeo Plank Road sounds like progress — unless your home happens to potentially stand in the right of way.
This is the dilemma currently facing Michael and Christian Thursam, who live in a Macomb Township home originally built in 1900 at 22 Mile and Romeo Plank roads. Michael Thursam took to social media on the Macomb Township Voices! Facebook page March 17 to express his concerns.
“So most of you will probably get your wish and have Romeo Plank widened, but me and my wife will more than likely be losing our forever home and our dream home,” Thursam wrote. “We have six kids together, so just remember that when you have to sit in traffic an extra minute, that our lives will soon be flipped upside down and probably have to leave Macomb Twp. and our home because we can’t afford the elevated prices here to stay in the area, we are devastated that this home that was built in 1900 that was here before the road will be demolished.”
In an interview with the Macomb Daily on March 25, Thursam said he and his wife have a blended family of six children, with two older boys in their twenties living away from home. Thursam said that his 16-year-old daughter lives with her mother but frequently visits, and the family has three children living with them in the 1900s home. His youngest daughter is a first grader at Sequoyah Elementary School in Macomb Township, a school he hopes to keep her in as it has a program to address special learning needs.
Thursam said that although the home was originally built in 1900, he has no historical marker of any type on it as he believes that renovations and add-ons to the residence will prevent it from being protected. The Thursams have owned the home for about four years. Thursam said that he added $10,000 in new appliances, installed a new furnace and new air conditioning, and replaced flooring and painted.
“We love the house. It is an old farmhouse and all inside the house is decorated like a farmhouse, with farm doors and farm floors,” Thursam said.
He also said that responses to his social media posts have indicated that should he need to move, he will be compensated. However, Thursam said he would prefer to remain in his current home, which he is still paying on.
Thursam said that he recently received a notification regarding the road widening and his home location, and followed up by speaking to a Macomb County Department of Roads assessor and other officials. Thursam said he was told the five-lane road will run through his property, and so did some research.
“What it is called is eminent domain. The government or city can take your property no matter what for public use,” Thursam said.
Macomb Township Supervisor Frank Viviano said that the township has not been contacted by Thursam regarding the matter. Viviano said that the county makes the final decision on township roads, while Macomb Township typically helps fund local road work. He said the county is only seeking to do environmental assessing in the area in question thus far. Viviano also said that eminent domain is generally a last resort of governmental bodies, used only when all negotiations fail.
The township doesn’t want to see residents displaced if it can be avoided, and the county generally seeks the least impactful or costly methods to residents while working to create safe and functioning roads, Viviano said.
Eric Dimoff, a public information officer for the Macomb County Department of Roads, provided information stating the Romeo Plank Road widening project will add capacity to meet the community’s needs. Dimoff said Thursam lives along the section of the road where an environmental assessment is being conducted, and had received a letter to inform him of activity in the upcoming weeks.
“The proposed Romeo Plank Road widening project in Macomb Township would ease congestion, improve traffic flow, and increase the efficiency of Macomb County’s transportation network,” Macomb County Department of Roads Director Bryan Santo said in a statement provided to The Macomb Daily. “The environmental assessment is a preliminary step in the first phase of the environmental review process and no determinations have been made regarding the properties along that portion of the corridor. We have been in contact with residents and will continue outreach throughout the assessment process.”
The environmental assessment is a preliminary step in the first phase of the environmental review of the proposed Romeo Plank Road widening project. The state will also conduct an environmental study as part of the preliminary assessment, Dimoff said. He added this is an initial review and no determination has been made regarding homes in the environmental assessment area. However, the Macomb County Department of Roads has been in contact with residents within the environmental assessment area to notify them of the environmental review, according to Dimoff. Current estimates indicate the earliest possible construction start date would be 2024, Dimoff said.
As the project is in the preliminary stages of review and environmental study, Dimoff said he did not have the total project cost information available. Dimoff said that Macomb Township is aware of the project, and that many of the Macomb County Department of Roads projects, such as the Romeo Plank Road project, originate with requests from communities. A portion of the Romeo Plank Road widening project was done in the township in 2021, Dimoff said.
Thursam said that there are only certain times of day during which traffic slows near his home, generally at rush hour or school release times.
“The traffic is coming from the turn lane. The turn lane is so small only two or three cars fit in the turn lane. All the traffic is backed up because everyone is trying to turn. If they would just put a three lane road in there,” Thursam said.